Anti-Democratic Attitudes, the Winner-Loser Gap, and the Rise of the Left in Mexico

Abstract

Weak support for democratic norms and institutions poses a serious challenge to the survival of democracy. Studies of public opinion often assume that citizens hold politicians accountable for respecting democratic norms. This study examines citizens’ attitudes toward democracy in Mexico. It focuses on the 2018 election as a critical juncture when Andrés Manuel López Obrador (MORENA) won the presidential election on his third attempt. Data from the LAPOP’s Americas Barometer (2012-2019) show that—consistent with the loser-winner gap literature —President López Obrador’s supporters increased their satisfaction with democracy after the 2018 election. However, unlike most voters who elected winners of elections, they did not become more committed to democracy. Even in some cases, after 2018, AMLO voters are more likely than other partisan groups to suppor t anti-democratic interventions, particularly support for a coup when crime is high. The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of the winner-loser gap in the context of Mexico’s democratic erosion. Although the results of this paper are based on exploratory evidence, they highlight that an important portion of voters is willing to sacrifice democracy and support their co-partisans’ actions that undermine democracy.